On Cornwall’s Penwith Moors, the passage of time takes on a peculiar quality. The landscape is a maze of tangled bracken and prickly gorse, with a gentle golden hue indicating the arrival of warmer summer days. A smudge of grey clouds hangs low on the horizon, and the wind creates a disorienting murmur akin to white noise. The topography is layered, with working farms overlaying ruined mines and ancient settlements. And at the heart of it all are scattered ancient stones – enigmatic quoits, barrows, and stone circles that have fascinated and perplexed societies for thousands of years.
To delve deeper into the mysteries of the moors, I am meeting with artists and stone enthusiasts, Lally MacBeth and Matthew Shaw. As soon as we meet, I can’t help but feel underdressed in my muddy hiking boots and sturdy waterproof gear – in Cornwall, we are always prepared for the possibility of rain. In contrast, MacBeth looks like an antiquarian in her emerald-green blazer, matching beret, and a swipe of ruby lipstick. The only muted part of her attire is a monochrome badge, the size of a small pebble, that reads: “The Stone Club”.
MacBeth and Shaw are the founders of a community of stone enthusiasts, and their passion for stones has gained them a network of nearly 3,000 members. What started in 2021 as a laptop and badge-maker in their living room in Penryn, Cornwall, has evolved into a platform for stone fans across the country to share stories and tips about their favorite stone formations. Members of all ages, ranging from two to 80, offer advice on fascinating routes, whether wellies are necessary, and where to find the nearest pub or watering hole. The club also serves as an informal identification service, where members can share photos of stones they’ve encountered to have them identified by others in the club.
MacBeth shares that interest in stones has skyrocketed during lockdowns and continues to flourish. People were eager to be out and explore again, to learn about the landscape and find a sense of pride in it. Many felt that they had discovered a new community, “their people”.
The route curated for me by the Stone Club takes us past five landmarks, as Shaw explains that connecting the sites offers a more meditative experience of the changing landscape and weather. Our first stop is Mên-an-Tol, a collection of four standing stones, one of which is shaped like a broad granite ring. Locally known as Crick Stone, it is steeped in folklore, believed to possess healing powers. Legend says that passing a baby through the stone three times can cure rickets, while a woman struggling to conceive should pass through it seven times under the light of the full moon. We share this tale with a man who watches his daughter laugh as she walks through the stone backward. He curtly tells her, “Once is enough”.
Continuing along the path, we reach Ding Dong Mine, one of the many dilapidated engine houses scattered across Cornwall, remnants of its mining past. Shaw mentions that this mine was favored by the writer Daphne du Maurier, who was a patron of Cornish heritage. MacBeth adds that this is the lesser-known side of Cornwall, beyond the popular beaches of St Ives. Amidst the polished image that Cornwall acquires with each summer season, hunting for stones remains a free activity, requiring only the cost of transportation. Before moving on, we peer into the dizzying mine shaft, searching for traces of the past.
Next, we reach Bosiliack Barrow, a jumble of stones believed to be a Neolithic tomb and a gateway to another world. At first glance, the arrangement of the stones seems random, until we learn that each slab was meticulously positioned to face the winter sun. On the shortest day of the year, the stones illuminate, radiating with solstice light. It was at this very spot that the idea for the Stone Club was born, and it continues to symbolize the club’s ethos. MacBeth emphasizes that history cannot be confined to textbooks; there are always peculiarities and mysteries.
The formation of the Stone Club came at a perfect time, as political divisions tore through society in 2021. Brexit, culture wars, and the Covid vaccine debates – stones transcend these tensions. They are so ancient that they are ultimately unknowable, leaving room for multiple interpretations. Embarking on a stone hunt adds another dimension to exploring the countryside. As we prepare to leave, the clouds part, and the sun breaks through the sky.
We climb another hill to reach Lanyon Quoit, a majestic dolmen that is instantly recognizable from postcards and souvenir magnets across Cornwall. Standing at about 1.5 meters tall, it looms above us like a giant’s dining table, although it is more likely a prehistoric mausoleum. Iconic stones like this serve as great conversation starters, bringing people together for engagements, friendships, and gatherings. MacBeth tells us about a couple who found each other through their shared membership in the Stone Club and are now in a long-term relationship. While pondering the quoit, we strike up a conversation with Wolfgang Lorenz, a German man touring Cornwall in his motorhome with his teenage son. For him, hunting down old stones is a ritual inherited from his parents. He has visited prehistoric sites in France, Denmark, and Holland, and each time, he finds something new. “Your perception changes,” he says.
As we complete our circuit, the weather takes a turn. Our shoes go from squelching to sinking, and we have to leap over boggy ground. We finally arrive at our last stone, Mên Scryfa, which simply means the inscribed stone. Shaw takes out his smartphone and overlays an illustration of the original stone onto its now weathered markings – a testament to how seamlessly the past and present merge in the Stone Club.
After three hours on the moors, it’s time to seek refuge in our cars. Once again, we encounter Wolfgang Lorenz, who is braving the rain to visit another site, this time without his son who is going through puberty. “Puberty,” he shrugs, explaining his son’s absence. We like to think that his son will return in 30 years, retracing the steps he took with his father, knowing that the same stones will still be there, inscrutable and unchanged.
For more information and event details, visit the Stone Club website. UK membership is available for £6.